THE hunt for three women suspected of planning terrorist attacks at the Sochi Winter Olympics has put one of the country's most feared spectres back in the spotlight - the so-called "black widows".
The nickname has been given to female suicide bombers who have in the past committed many of the Russia's worst terror attacks in revenge for the deaths of their husbands.
Russian police believe at least one of the women suspected of planning an attack at the Winter Games is the widow of an Islamic militant. Ruzanna Ibragimova, 22, is believed to have penetrated the 1,500-mile "ring of steel" security encompassing Sochi and surrounding areas almost two weeks ago.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ibramigova, from Dagestan in the North Caucasus region, apparently walks with a limp and has a 10cm scar on her left cheek. Her husband was killed by Russian forces last month.
Police were less clear about the whereabouts of the other women, identified as 26-year-old Zaira Aliyeva and 34-year-old Dzhannet Tsakhayeva, saying only that the suspects "are probably among us".
Posters circulated by police warn that the women may be hiding in plain sight by substituting Western clothing for their traditional Islamic clothes.
NBC News terrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann said the fact that police have put up posters of the women suggests "gaping holes in security right now in Sochi".
Russia has mounted an intense security operation ahead of the Games, which take place between 7 and 23 February. However, concerns remain about "soft targets" outside Olympic venues including buses and tourist facilities that are vulnerable to attack.
Two US warships will be on standby in the Black Sea when the Games begin, reports the BBC. Washington has also offered to supply Russia with hi-tech equipment to help detect improvised explosives.
Female suicide bombers have been blamed for several previous attacks in the country, including bombs outside a rock concert and a subway station in Moscow and an attack on two Russian airliners.
-
Minnesota's legal system buckles under Trump's ICE surgeIN THE SPOTLIGHT Mass arrests and chaotic administration have pushed Twin Cities courts to the brink as lawyers and judges alike struggle to keep pace with ICE’s activity
-
Big-time money squabbles: the conflict over California’s proposed billionaire taxTalking Points Californians worth more than $1.1 billion would pay a one-time 5% tax
-
‘The West needs people’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
